USB jack relocation for phone cable?

I’m using a Hondo vent mount and trying to keep my phone charging cable from obscuring the climate controls and/or cup holders. The only 1.5’ cord I found, which seems to be the ideal length, doesn’t work in the standard usb/aux jack. (It’s the Monoprice Apple MFi Certified Lightning to USB Type-A Charge & Sync Cable - AtlasFlex.) The new cable does, oddly, work with the usb adapter that I put in the 12v/120w socket, but from there it gets in the way.

Is there a decent way to guide a phone charging cable so it doesn’t get in the way? Everything I try either gets banged around by my drinks or interferes with the climate controls. I know there are the Hondo clips, but I don’t want to go all the way counterclockwise around the screen and controls to drop down to the phone.

Do people relocate the 12v plug and other buttons?

(Filed under ridiculous first world problems.)

 

I did this:



The holes aren’t visible from any normal position, and it keeps the cable out of the way.

 

Did a rodent chew that first hole?

It'd be cleanest to just add another USB port behind the current one and fish the cord out to where you want. Would probably still need one hole though. I've been thinking of doing this as well as I run my cord from the center console up to my hondo mount.

 

The problem here is that outlet only kicks out 0.5A. It is not going to keep your phone charged unless you are using no apps and will not charge rapidly.

There are lots of options, esp when combined with @mesojdm 's switch panels:



I'm slacking in planned mods, but MC Tuning dual 2.1A USB on the left side and Blue Sea dual 2.1A USB on the right side.

 

I regularly use Waze and use my iPhone as the music source. The USB port not only keeps the phone charged, but increases the battery level, even while keeping the screen on.

It’s not pretty, but it’s also not visible, so function>form.

 

Wow. Good for you! That was not my experience with mine. I have a device the gives the current and it was right around 0.5A. I'll try to snap a pic.

My phones tend to need at least 2.0A to gain charge with apps running, usually navi and music.

 

Yank the shroud off. You can fish to anything. Either a 5v circuit you set up off a fuse tap or from the power port. If you want to tap into the radio USB then you’ll need to pull the head. A cheap and dirty but much cleaner than you are doing now is just fish...a usb cable back to the stock port behind.

 

I plug mine in the center console and route it down the side of the console and under the transmission hump trim to the front. It comes out above the steering wheel right next to the vent. It is loosely zip-tied where it wraps around the Ram ball mount at the vent. You could probably do this on the right vent as well. It's a 10' cord.

 

I placed my original behind the dashboard, and ran a cable inside to the top
on the outside you will not see any cables at all.
replaced the original with a new one, just in case!!

 

Dual climate control project next! Function>Form!

 

The ports are only USB 2.0 so yeah, 500mA is the maximum current it will provide. I've never had issues with it keeping up using Waze or Gaia and providing bluetooth audio but I agree that a 2.0A charger (or better) is the way to go. I use the factory USB port for my webcam (notched a switch blank and have it come out that way) and a nearly flush-fit Anker charger in the 12v port for our phones.

The factory USB actually charges slower than the Qi pad for me... can't wait until USB 3.0 becomes the standard just for power alone.

 

Op. Don’t be afraid. The cowel plastic around the radio pops off. Grab to and pull straight. The radio is only 4 10mm bolts. Once out you can reach the USB

 

I'm an Android person and have found with Samsung and Google phones that 0.5A would be a straight up drain for me. That said, power management has gotten better over time and with each new phone / OS update.

 

Pixel 2 and iPhone XS have been cool for me... like I said though, I get faster charging on the XS via Qi than I do the factory USB. I'm pretty minimalist on my app usage though - no facebook or any of the other ones that constantly run in the background.

 

For me, it is just Waze, Gmaps, or offline navi (CoPilot GPS / still coming around to Gaia) and a music app depending on cell coverage.

I got out of social media. Useless things for me.

 

I did this:

Using the Hondo cable clips and this 4’ cable from Amazon:

CableCreation Left Angle Lightning to USB Cable, 4 Feet MFi Certified Data Sync Charge Cable Compatible with iPhone X, 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, iPad, Black & White, 1.2 M

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCUJ7A6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rYoSCbFAH8F0D

I realize this isn’t the route you want to go, but it has worked well for me. I know behind the dash would be cleaner, but I wasn’t ready to drill any holes and this was super easy.

 

Pulling out the head unit gave me a good idea - why not just put in a 12v to 5v transformer with a USB adapter like this

GEREE Mini Electrical Power Converter 8-20V 12V to 5V Auto Voltage Buck Transformer Board Step-down DC Volt Regulator with 5 Pins Mini USB Adapter Connector Plug Dual Output

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NMDNB8U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_x98RCbF4S60DZ

behind the dash and run a short power charging cord through a very small hole in the air-conditioning duct next to it (seal around the wire with gorilla tape) and come out from the air vent to the phone?

 

..wow.

 

I like to hide wires.
Takes time an maybe some searching here and there but clean is clean:
Ham Radio
Police scanner
From and rear dash cam
Radar detector
ShiftSense Pro
No wires showing except the required short connections.

 

Nice work! Those are crazy clean installs.

And here, I would be hand flapping over the airbag stickers.